{"id":9276,"date":"2024-03-08T18:02:39","date_gmt":"2024-03-08T18:02:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=9276"},"modified":"2024-03-09T23:25:08","modified_gmt":"2024-03-09T23:25:08","slug":"win-no-8-thats-how-we-like-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=9276","title":{"rendered":"Win No 8 \u2014 That\u2019s How We Like It"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-08-at-18.00.25-1024x684.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9279\" width=\"560\" height=\"374\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-08-at-18.00.25-1024x684.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-08-at-18.00.25-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-08-at-18.00.25-768x513.png 768w, https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-08-at-18.00.25-75x50.png 75w, https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-08-at-18.00.25.png 1417w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>And so to the Stadium of Stone on Saturday, when Brentford are our visitors as late afternoon turns to early evening and twilight brings the promise and menace of the night (OK! For a 5.30 kick-off).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our home league record against the Bees is surprisingly flat. Although we\u2019ve lost only once, in 1938, we have only two wins in the seven games, a 2-1 in February 2022 when Saka and Smith Rowe scored (the lesser spotted ESR has only scored one other goal since) and a 2-0 in May 1939 when Ted Drake and Alfred Kirchen scored. Both, like Eddie Hapgood and \u2018Gentleman Jack\u2019 Crayston, were playing what would be their final league games for the club as the storm clouds of war gathered.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A side note to that game is that it was filmed for use in the movie version of the best-selling caper whodunnit, \u2019The Arsenal Stadium Mystery\u2019. Brentford played in white shirts and black shorts, the colours of The Trojans, Arsenal\u2019s fictitious opponents in Leonard Gribble\u2019s original story, which had been serialised in the Daily Express. Presumably, Brentford would not have played in their customary red and white stripes anyway because of the colour clash.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The mystery revolves around the death of a Trojan player during a charity game at Highbury. Cliff Bastin and Hapgood had cameos, but only manager George Allison got a (small) speaking part. Drake\u2019s goal was shown in the film making the score \u2018one-nil to the Arsenal\u2019, giving Allison the line \u2018And that\u2019s how we like it.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can watch the film here if you have a mind or just can\u2019t be arsed with the rest of this preview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Arsenal Vs Trojans Full Movie | The Arsenal Stadium Mystery (1939) | Retrospective\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QmX4BJGcEp8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In the actual league match, Drake\u2019s goal was the second, near the end of the game. Kirchen\u2019s opener was controversial. His shot hit the bar, bounced down to the ground and spun back into the field of play. To the fury of Brentford\u2019s players, the referee adjudged the ball to have crossed the line and whistled a goal. Where was VAR when you needed it? Thankfully, still three-quarters of a century away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The opposition<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike us, Brentford comes into this Saturday\u2019s game on a poor run of form. Two wins in their past 15 games have dropped them to 15th in the league, six points clear of the relegation zone. Last weekend, they drew at home with the mob from the Bus Stop, having been behind and then ahead. Holding leads is a problem; Brentford has dropped more points, 28, from winning positions this season than any other team in the league.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That points to the Bees&#8217; potency and porosity, which makes the game another potential banana skin. To be sure, Arteta has hit on a simple solution to avoiding banana skins: scoring five or six. Yet Thomas Frank and Brentford are a cut above hapless Chris Wilder&#8217;s Sheffield United. We can expect stiffer resistance than that offered at Bramall Lane on Monday evening, even if, in the end, one trusts, it will prove just as futile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Frank has settled on a 3-5-2 set-up after chopping and changing his formation in the first half of the season. His team plays an intense, high-pressing game but without dominating possession. It averages 35% this season, the eighth lowest in the league.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>David Raya&#8217;s replacement, Mark Flekken, will be between the sticks. Frank\u2019s defence is missing Ben Mee, Rico Henry, Aaron Hickey and Ethan Pinnock due to injury. Thus, the back three will likely be Denmark international Mathias J\u00f8rgensen, who goes by the name Zanka, Ireland international Nathan Collins, and Norway international Kristoffer Ajer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Look for the five across the middle to comprise wing-backs Sergio Reguilon, the Spaniard on temporary day release from the Marshlands as part of his rehabilitation back into society, and talented young Dane Mads Roerslev, outside of fellow Dane and club captain Christian N\u00f8rgaard, Nigerian international Frank ONyeka and the former German U-21 international Vitaly Janelt. Yet another Danish international, Mathias Jensen, will be an option from the bench when Frank finds his starting midfielders stymied by Rice and \u00d8degaard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Up front, it will be Ivan Toney, possibly to be seen next season in a shirt of a different arrangement of red and white (although I wouldn\u2019t bet on it), alongside DR Congo international Yoane Wissa. French-born Cameroon international Bryan Mbeumo, top scorer this season, and summer signing Kevin Shade are out with injury. Unfortunately, the grody Neal Maupay is fit and available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Toney and Wissa are a threat. Toney is one of the few to give Saliba as good as he gets. Stifling the supply to the Bees\u2019 frontmen will be crucial. Yet, one of Arteta&#8217;s less heralded tactical successes this season has been to cut the opposition\u2019s main men out of the play. Bowen barely had a kick against us but scored a hat trick in his next game; Guimaraes and Gordon were anonymous for the Barcodes, ditto Fernandes for the Red Mancs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Toney is also a threat at set-pieces. With Ramsdale in goal because Raya is inelligble against his parent club, Brentford wll likely try to engineer opportunities to test the theory that the Englishman\u2019s cross catching is inferior to the Spaniard\u2019s. We have conceded fewer free kicks than any other Premier League side this season. That discipline will need to be to the fore against an opponent that has shown twice before against us this season its willingness to scrap even in a losing cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Arsenal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Picking the team is an unusual challenge compared to the stability of selection in recent games. We must consider this game and Tuesday\u2019s Champions League second leg. Thus, I think Jes\u00fas starts against Brentford but comes off after an hour to rest for a start against Porto. Partey starts on the bench in both games but will get minutes in both. Jorghino will step down to make room for Havertz. This assumes Saka and Martinelli pass late fitness tests. Vieira and Trossard, respectively, are likely replacements if they do not, though some will hope for ESR. Thus:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Ramsdale<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">White &#8211; Saliba &#8211; Gabriel &#8211; Kiwior<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">\u00d8degaard &#8211; Rice &#8211; Havertz<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Saka &#8211; Jes\u00fas &#8211; Martinelli<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is no need to rehearse our record-breaking AD (\u212221CG) run of seven wins. The team\u2019s energetic, intricate attacking has been a delight, but its goal-scoring is an outlier. Our xG for the seven games in which we have scored 31 goals was 19. As for our defence, three goals conceded when the xGA was barely two. What can one say? Means will reassert themselves at some point, but even if they do, this team, emerging like a butterfly from its chrysalis, should still be playing winning football.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every game is a must-win from here on in. Arteta will keep the team focused on Brentford and on dropping another three points in the poke, to use BtM\u2019s argot. Do that, and we will be top, at least until Sunday, possibly longer, depending on the result at Anfield.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Enjoy the game \u2018holics, near and far.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>And so to the Stadium of Stone on Saturday, when Brentford are our visitors as late afternoon turns to early evening and twilight brings the promise and menace of the night (OK! For a 5.30 kick-off). Our home league record against the Bees is surprisingly flat. Although we\u2019ve lost only once, in 1938, we have [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9276"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9276"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9276\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9281,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9276\/revisions\/9281"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9276"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}